JERSEY CITY - Allegations of a botched election to select leadership for the Jersey City Republican Committee may have been much ado about nothing.

On Nov. 19, longtime committee chairman Russell Maffei was reelected to a new term by a vote of 57 to 10. An earlier reorganization election, held in June, was voided by a Hudson County Superior Court judge on Sept. 6 after some Republican committee members alleged that Maffei purposely excluded them from participating in the election for committee officers. The judge ordered Maffei, who has bee chairman of the Jersey City Republican Committee for 10 years, to hold a new reorganization meeting "as soon as practicable."

The new reorganization meeting too place last night. Maffei survived the second election, despite speculation that a small cadre of Ron Paul supporters who are new to the Jersey City Republican Committee might try to stage a takeover. - E. Assata Wright

But Maffei rigged it again. This time at least he sent out the notices to the members of the Committee. The problem is that the "official notice" was sent out with the wrong address listed. Maffei kept his opposition away from the vote. This will probably end up back in court and I hope the judge takes it a little more seriously this time.